Three state colleges in Tennessee offer graphic design programs. These schools are the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Martin and East Tennessee State University, in Johnson City. Private colleges with graphic design programs include Memphis College of Art, O'More College of Design and Watkins College of Art, Design and Film. O'More College is in Franklin, Tennessee and Watkins College makes its home in Nashville.
The School of Graphic Design at the University of Tennessee Knoxville stresses heightened creative and intellectual thought, social, cultural, individual and communicative awareness, the ethical implications of art and concern for the natural environment. The University of Tennessee Martin program takes a more practical approach, stressing career training and preparation. Students of Watkins College's graphic design program will develop awareness of details, conceptual thought capacity, technical artistic abilities and succinct visual communication skills. O'More College offers a Visual Communication program integrating elements of art direction, music marketing and graphic, web, multimedia and corporate identity design.
UT Knoxville and UT Martin both offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design. UT Knoxville also offers a Master of Fine Art, Graphic Design. East Tennessee State awards Bachelor and Master of Fine Art degrees with a concentration in graphic design. O'More awards a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication. Students at Watkins College and Memphis College or Art will be awarded a BFA in Graphic Design.
Memphis College of Art graphic design students take six sequential Design Systems courses beginning with Design Systems 1, an introduction to the principles and elements of design, and ending with Design Systems 6, a senior thesis program. Students also take The Design of Advertising and The Design of Packaging. University of Tennessee Knoxville BFA candidates study subjects like web design, graphic production, typography, studio art and advanced design. MFA candidates are required to take Theory and Practice of Art Fundamentals as well as art history and studio art courses. Graphic design BFA subjects at East Tennessee include color theory, 3-D design, drawing fundamentals and a series of sequential art history survey course.